A Toast
by Emo Cowboy
Summary: Maya takes it upon herself to prepare a lunch date for her and Kasey. And Chase takes it upon himself to criticize her efforts. But what is Kasey's reaction to Maya's well-meaning but ill-fated meal?


_I decided to take a little break from my Sunshine Islands fic to write a little Animal Parade/Tree of Tranquilty-verse! Now, I've only ever played Tree of Tranquility, and only through the first year of Spring, at that. So with the help of YouTube vids and websites and some friends who have played the game, I tried my best with this. Sorry if there's anything that's "off" with the world or characterization. I did the best I could though._

_Anyway, Maya is my favorite bachelorette in those games, and I can't stand that she gets so much hate (though I know it's because Chase is very popular). So I wrote this, she should get some love too!_

_And no, I don't hate Chase, I actually really enjoyed writing him here. He's just fun to tease, too. Hawhaha._

* * *

"_Maya, I swear, you could find a way to burn __**toast**__!"_

Chase's words rang in Maya's head. Sure, she wasn't the best cook. Or, even an average one. Okay, she was really really _really_ awful! But Chase would grow so impatient, so frustrated, he'd just be a total meanie and exaggerate!

Until now. She had burnt toast.

"No, no, _noooo_!" She whined to no one in particular as she fanned her hand frantically at the gray cloud of smoke that was pluming out of toaster.

She'd been _trying_ to cook lunch for Kasey. He'd cooked dinner for her birthday a few days ago, and the week prior to that, he'd put together a picnic basket full of food for the Moon Viewing Festival. But _she_ was the one with the best cook _ever_ for a grandmother, and her mom was pretty darn good too! And (she hated to let the decidedly sexist thought enter her mind but) she was the _girl_, she should be able to make something for him, at least once in a while! He worked so hard, so long every day on his farm, it would probably be a real treat for him not to have to make his own meals on top of it.

Kasey wasn't her _boyfriend_, or anything. Maya liked him, _a lot_, and they'd "gone out" a few times, and he was even her first kiss! And he'd flirt with her, bring her gifts...and she was always his "date" to any festivals. But he was friendly with _everyone_ on the Island; there wasn't a single soul who didn't like him (except for, at the time being, Luke, since Kasey had banned him from his farm after the untimely demise of Kasey's mailbox at the hands of Luke's ax, and Chase, who didn't really like anybody). So that combined with him never broaching the subject of them being boyfriend-girlfriend left Maya to wonder, to toss and turn sleeplessly, to consult lettuce leaves as she tore them from the heads - "he likes me, he likes me not."

She sighed as she picked up the toaster, jiggling it upside-down. The blackened slices plopped out, one-two-three-four, onto the sparkling just-cleaned serving plate. The crumbs scattered everywhere, making for an ugly contrast against the ornate floral design that circled the plate. Okay, they were _edible_ at least, not entirely pitch-black. And she didn't have time to make another batch, Kasey could be here any minute!

Maya squeezed her eyes shut tight, shaking her head furiously, to erase the thought that had popped up in her head: that Kasey would _forget_ about their lunch. Or even worse, that he'd show up and say _he wasn't hungry_!

She ladled out the soup she'd made from its pot and into two separate bowls, ruminating over the confirmed couples in Harmonica Town. Jin had Anissa, who always brought him the freshest herbs for any elixirs, antidotes he prescribed. And Julius had Candace, the only girl who could keep up with his craving for all the latest fashion trends. Even her own mom and dad...Mom took care of all the housework and the cooking, and Dad went out of his way to interact with the guests. Everyone made such a good _team_, and that was how she thought it should be, if you were with someone. No one should be _better_ than the other, they should just make each other the very best "them" they could be!

An all-too-familiar voice snapped her out of her reverie. "What is _this_?"

"Chase!" Maya whirled around, dropping the ladle and sending a splash of hot broth all over the floor. "Oh, oh, look what you made me do! Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Here, I got it." Chase rolled his eyes, grabbing a rag from the sink and kneeling down to sop up the spill. "We're starting to run out of room for everything over at the bar. Hayden asked me to bring all the extra plates and bowls over here. Guess he figures that some of them might _mysteriously_ break." He flashed a tight, condescending smile at Maya as he stood up. She just scowled at him, prompting him to repeat himself. "Now, _what_ -" he pointed at the tray holding the bowls of soup and the plate full of toast - "is _that_?"

"It's lunch!" Maya sidestepped in front of it, hoping to prevent Chase from seeing she'd destroyed the toast. "For me and Kasey!"

"No way." Chase chuckled as he pushed up onto his toes, trying to see over Maya and at the toast she was hiding.

"Um, _way!_" Maya placed her hands on her hips. "Can't you go away, I'm already _so_ nervous!"

"Well, look at it this way." Chase tilted his head to the side, his unpinned bangs brushing across his browline. "As long as you don't kill him, it'll be a success."

"_Hey_! If I kill him -_which I won't!_- it'll be all _your_ fault, I'm using _your_ soup recipe so...so _there_!" Maya stuck her tongue as hard as she could, for emphasis.

"How much salt did you put in it?" Chase was suddenly serious, as he always was when it came to cooking. Maya had a tendency to mix up tablespoons with teaspoons.

"Like...well..." Maya folded her hands behind her back, staring at the floor with her feet bowed inwards. "The recipe said three tablespoons but Kasey doesn't really like salty things so I only put in one!"

"So you ruined it?"

"_No_! You're not eating it! Kasey is!"

"Barely."

Maya chose to end the discussion there, ignoring Chase and opening the silverware drawer to retrieve a spoon, fork, and knife each for her and Kasey, and moved the tray to the front counter, to be all ready for when Kasey arrived. After several thickly silent moments, Chase placed a hand on Maya's shoulder.

"Maya?" She slowly turned and looked up into his violet eyes. The disdain that usually shone from them had faded, being replaced by...kindness? "I'll be right here if you need me."

"R-really?" Maya's pale blue eyes lit up, her mouth opening and closing one, two times before she replied. "Chase, thank you, I-"

"I know the Heimlich Maneuver." His lips curved back up into a smirk. "I'll be ready."

"_Ugh!" _ Maya shrugged Chase's hand away, her pigtails bobbing wildly. "You're such a...a-a word I'm not gonna say 'cuz it's so mean that it'll make you cry!"_  
_  
Chase snorted derisively when a third voice joined their conversation. "Jerkwad? Or if that doesn't fit, I have others."

Maya and Chase both looked up, with completely opposite expressions. Kasey was leaning forward with his elbows propped up on the counter beside the tray, smiling devilishly. Maya squealed with delight and ran out from the kitchen, around the counter, and threw her arms around Kasey. "YAY!~ You made it! That's so super-fantastic!"

His arms encircled her waist, and he lifted her slightly with a gentle squeeze. "'Hi' to you too, Maya," he whispered loudly into her ear.

Chase scoffed in the background, and Kasey set Maya down, so that they were both facing the chef. "Oh, sorry, where're my manners?" Kasey waved a hand loosely at Chase. "Hey, Jerkwad."

Chase grumbled something out about having to bake brownies for the dessert special at the bar that night, and started occupying himself with getting all the necessary tools out of the cupboards.

Maya picked up the tray and led Kasey over to the nearest table. "I hope you're hungry!"

"Are you kiddin', I'm _starving_! I barely ate anything for breakfast just so I could be ready for lunch with you."

Maya swore hearts were forming in her eyes, just like in those childrens' books when one character was smitten with the other. That was totally the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her!

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught her mom watching the two of them from behind the front desk. Her eyes met Maya's and she quickly began paging through the registry instead. Maya giggled to herself as she placed a bowl at her and Kasey's spots, and sat down across from him, the plate of burnt toast in the middle but obstructed from Kasey's view by the vase centerpiece.

"So what's the soup _du jour_ here, eh?" Kasey tucked into the table, and blew across his spoonful of soup as he brought it to his mouth.

"Maya's Veggie-riffic Surprise!" she exclaimed, unfurling her napkin and flattening it out on her lap.

"What's the surprise?"

"I don't know, I just thought that made it sound cool! And actually it's Chase's recipe, but...my name has a better ring to it!"

"So we could just shorten the name to 'Veggie-riffic', then?" Kasey smiled softly at her as he took his first slurp of it.

"Sure!" Maya waited with bated breath as Kasey slowly swallowed the soup, an indifferent look on his face. "How is it? I made alterations to it just for you!"

Kasey's smile faltered, and he didn't say anything. "Really?" He tacked his smile back up, but Maya could tell it was forced.

Maya stared at her hands as she wrung them anxiously. "Chase said...Chase said it could use a bit more salt, so I didn't think...I _tried_!..."

Kasey was silent, and Maya looked back up at him when he didn't reply. His mouth was creased into a small, uncharacteristic frown. Her urging eyes on him caused him to speak his mind. "Yeah, and Chase could use a kick in the ass. The soup's _fine_, Maya. Actually, I...I'd eat it again." Maya could tell he was telling the truth, too, because he didn't do that little thing if he were lying, where he'd quirk his mouth back and forth, unsure if the other person would believe him or not.

"Thank you..." she whispered sincerely, and that's when Kasey reached over the vase in the middle of the table and picked up a piece of toast.

"What's this?"

She tried to grab it back from him. She didn't want to explain _this _one. "Oh, forget that! I..."

Kasey took a huge bite out of it. "Oh, _man_, this is good!" He spoke with his mouth full. "Fanks, Muyah!"

Maya blinked at him. He was serious about this too!

"I'm glad you made it like this, you remembered I like things 'well-done'!"

Kasey was right. Whenever they went to the beach in Summer, he'd let his marshmallow flicker and flame over the bonfire until it looked like a lump of coal. (Maya's marshmallow would end up the same, but not because she wanted it to.)

He chomped away at the toast, and swallowed this time before continuing. "You know, there's not many people who remember those little things like that. It's really great to know there's still people...girls, specifically-" he winked at her "-who are as thoughtful as you are. You said it yourself when ya told me Chase yelled at you for the soup. You tried. I don't know anybody who tries as much as you, Maya. It really makes me feel, like...special. But in a good way, not in the kind of way Chase is special."

She smiled to herself as she took a sip of water. She'd been so worried about Chase's _standards_ that she'd forgotten Kasey's preferences. Kasey didn't care about perfection, he cared about _her_, hopefully as much as she'd shown she cared about him. She was imperfect too, but that didn't matter if Kasey preferred _her_. He made her feel like the best _her_ in the world!

Maya nibbled at the corners of her toast, then lowered it, looking over at Kasey who had finished his first slice and picked up a second. "Kasey, I...I asked you to lunch because I sorta kinda want to tell you something, too."

"Yeah? Can you wait like, one minute?"

"Um sure, I guess..."

Kasey picked up his fork, and struck it repeatedly against his water glass, a loud chime reverberating through the inn.

"Everyone, if I could have your attention please!" He stood up, wielding a piece of toast in one hand. Everyone who was present in the inn turned their focus to him.

Her mom was watching, her dad had paused from talking with her grandmother and _they_ were watching. Even _Chase_, who couldn't be disrupted from the middle of a recipe if an earthquake leveled the inn to the ground, had turned his gaze to the table, batter-caked whisk suspended in midair.

"Kasey!" Maya squeaked out. She knew Kasey had a flair for the dramatic, proud of being the center of attention whenever he was, but this was ridiculous! Oh, this could be very bad!

"No, Maya, this is important. Lift your hand up. C'mon." She did as she was instructed and he shoved his piece of toast into it and picked up the one remaining slice off the serving tray. "Okay, everyone, I'd say I'm sorry to interrupt, but, I'm not really, so. I just wanted you all to know that even though Maya isn't the best cook, this is probably the best lunch I've had in a long time, because she worked her butt off to make it, and put in her special Maya touch."

"Kasey..." she repeated uselessly. Her cheeks burned a deep crimson as she held her free hand to her mouth.

"So I'd like to propose a toast to her." He tapped his black slice to Maya's, crumbs snowing onto the tablecloth. "Maya, I don't anyone who's more themselves than you're _Maya_. I really like that. So I was hopin' you wouldn't mind being 'Kasey's girlfriend' on top of that."

It was the first time Maya had almost choked during one of her own meals. She scrambled over to the other side of the table, toast still in hand, and flung herself at Kasey with a bone-crushing hug. He stumbled backward but stablized himself, ducking his head down and kissing her soundly.

She giggled as she kissed him back, and forced her arm between them. Her hand popped up, offering the toast to Kasey. He faked as if he was going to take an emphatically big bite before kissing her again.

* * *

_I got this idea because I'm a bit like Maya...I can barely cook! But I made my bf dinner (one of those meal-in-a-bag stirfrys that even me and Maya could make) after he had to work late one night, and he was super appreciative...it made me feel so good. :) And it made me think of a situation Maya might find herself in, so I thought I'd better write it down! Hope you liked it! I love reviews (almost as much as food)!_


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